Be informed to scuttle the scammers

REDFIELD - We've had such good reviews of the Preventing Fraud and Identity Theft program in Redfield last week that I want to share the great tips from the program with everyone. Delane Smith, director of Consumer Protection with the South Dakota Attorney General's Office Division of Consumer Protection, showed how we can avoid being scammed and protect our privacy to prevent identity theft. Smith shared so much great information that it just won't fit in one column, so I'll be including her information in future columns as well. This week, I'll discuss some aspects which can send up a red flag that a call, e-mail or letter is part of a scam. One item that Smith stressed was that many scams involve tricking you into wiring money to someone and that once you wire money, it's gone - it's extremely unlikely that you will be able to get it back. There will be few legitimate times where wiring money is necessary, since there are many safer options for transferring money. The criminals want you to wire money because in a matter of just a few minutes, the cash can be in their hands and they can be on their way with little chance of getting caught. To avoid this, make it a personal rule to never wire money, especially if you do not know the person you are wiring it to. If you think you are wiring money to someone you know, test to make sure that it is actually the person you think it is by calling the person with a number you are familiar with or asking questions that only that person would be able to answer. Scammers often play on our emotions. Sometimes they play to our love for our family members as in the case of the Grandparent Scam or our fear of legal trouble as in the Jury Duty Scam. In sweepstakes scams, they appeal to our excitement over winning lots of money. If we let our emotions overtake us, we can miss the signs that we are being scammed. A sense of urgency is also often common in scams. Scammers know that if we take the time to think about what they are asking us to do, we'll probably see through their scam. In the Grandparent Scam, a fraudster contacts an older adult claiming to be their grandchild. They often start the conversation with “Grandma/Grandpa, do you know who this is?” and then claim to be the person that is named. The conversation then turns to an urgent plea for help in which they need money wired to them for a critical situation. The person also pleads for their other family to not be contacted. The Consumer Protection Division with the Attorney General's Office offers the following tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

Ask several personal questions including something that only a grandchild would be able to answer like a nickname, name of a family pet or special family tradition. This will help determine if this is a fraud or not.

Don't hesitate to call another family member or the grandchild directly with a number that is familiar to you.

Do not fill in the blanks for the caller. If the caller says, “This is your granddaughter,” ask “Which one?” or “Where are you calling from?” The caller is looking for answers that will assist them in the scam. Be cautious if the caller asks you to not tell anyone else, like the parents, because he or she will get in trouble. It is all part of the scam. In the Jury Duty Scam, a scammer poses as a local court services worker and tells you that a warrant has been issued for your arrest because of failure to report to jury duty. When you tell them that you didn't receive a jury duty notice letter, they ask for your date of birth and Social Security number so that he or she can “verify” your claim. They may even attempt to ask for credit card information to pay a small fine for not appearing. If they are successful in getting this information from you, the scammer could open new lines of credit or take the money in your bank account by assuming your identity. To avoid becoming a victim of this and similar scams, a simple rule is to not give out personal information if you did not initiate the phone call. If you believe you have received a fraudulent call, contact your local law enforcement agency. If you believe you may be a victim of a scam, you should also contact the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or by e-mail at consumerhelp@state.sd.us.